I proudly proclaim, “Yes, my two teams are in 1st and 2nd place in sales again!” If you happen to be in a position of leading people, especially sales people, you may have just felt the sting of competition prickle along your skin. You may next wonder, ‘What motivated these particular individuals to improve their performance, work as a team and successfully outperform the rest?’ Bonuses? Promises of extra days off? Forced overtime? Threats to have IT take back the additional RAM that was just put into their computers? No! As non-PC as it may sound, I’ll say to you… “I loved them”!

If you just reeled back in your ergonomically-correct, office chair and shielded your eyes to ward off the corporate sacriligiousness of those three words, why so offended? The most read and beloved book in the world directs us all to, “…love thy neighbor.” And isn’t that what we become to one another in the corporate world– – neighbors, people with whom we share the majority of our time, personal space, failures/successes, bouts with diets, divorces and child rearing challenges ? Maybe the idea of loving one’s direct reports would settle better in the stomachs of you executive officers and managers if I note here that Webster’s New World Dictionary’s definition of love #4 states, “to love is to gain benefit from, as in [a plant that loves shade].” Many of you have just breathed for the first time since reading the opening paragraph. Some of you just wrote into your Palm Pilots, “Buy plants for staff.” If you did, you’re missing the point! DELETE THAT ENTRY!

At the end of the day, that is what we are all trying to do, whether it’s from our gray cubicles or if you’re lucky enough, from your corner office with a view…. to gain some kind of benefit from the individuals we have been dutifully assigned or have hand-selected to lead. I have discovered in my career as a corporate leader and now executive coach, that loving those whom you lead can move, not only mountains, but sales, profits, customer service levels, and quality.

When you peel back the onion in regard to great leadership, you’ll find at the core, an individual who has learned to love herself first and, therefore, has an abundance to draw from when her employees are struggling. Lending a compassionate ear, expressing gratitude for a job well-done, and asking your employees for their buy-in and opinions on matters that concern the growth of your company should be the seeds that you plant and then lovingly nurture in order to cultivate a positive, healthy and collaborative culture.

“Ha!” you mutter, “that’s easier said than done.” Change is never easy. It’s all about taking those first steps. Here’s a challenge…Next time you notice that one of your employees seems to have woken up on the wrong side of the punch-clock, sit down and write them a short note acknowledging that not all days start out sunny, but that you’d like to help theirs end that way. Leave it on their desk with a cup of coffee, tea or their favorite soft drink. Just think about how that would make you feel. My guess is that you just might be a bit more productive than you would otherwise have been.

Feeling a bit of Ebenezer Scrooge coming on because you’re wondering how much money you’re going to have to spend on Starbucks, Sees and Blockbuster gift cards, in order to keep your employees happy and productive? STOP! Put your credit cards away. In the spring and summer of 1998, The Gallup Organization launched a massive investigation to discover the link between employee opinion and business performance. The research revealed that the companies that scored 5s (the highest ranking) to the following six questions were vastly more productive than others whose employees ranked them lower:

1. Do I know what is expected of me at work?
2. Do I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right?
3. Do I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day?
4. In the last seven days, have I received recognition or praise for good work?
5. Does my supervisor, or someone at work, seem to care about me as a person?
6. Is there someone at work who encourages my development?

These results tell us that it’s not about material incentives, but about the environment we work in, and the connections we have with those we work with. I’d love to hear what you think. Regardless of whether you’ve been on the receiving end or the giving end, sharing your best “Love Thy Employee” story could make all the difference in the productivity of a well-deserving employee and in the success of those who lead.

(Originally appeared April 8, 2007 @ pblog.icancoaching.net)